


Distant Early Warning

by owlmoose



Series: Pieces of Thedas [27]
Category: Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Flash Fic, Gen, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-28
Updated: 2013-05-28
Packaged: 2017-12-13 06:28:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/821105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/owlmoose/pseuds/owlmoose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While traveling to Ostagar, Sereda Aeducan encounters her first thunderstorm.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Distant Early Warning

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the prompt "Princess Aeducan: brontide (the low rumbling of distant thunder)". Set within the Fidelity universe.

The last night before their arrival at Ostagar, the Grey Wardens made camp on the edge of the southern forests. They had made good time, thanks largely to weeks of clear skies, a rarity in Ferelden. But their lucky streak was about to break; Duncan tipped his head back and checked the clouds massing in the western sky. Unless he missed his guess, there would be a storm tonight.

Fortunately, their tents were secured and dinner was already finished. Duncan crouched down next to the campfire and spooned up a dish of stew, then made note of his last recruit: Sereda, the former Princess Aeducan. She sat alone, perched on a tree stump, staring at the ground. He walked around the fire and sat next to her. “Good evening,” he said. 

“Duncan,” Sereda replied with a serious nod. She had been quiet through most of the trip, and no wonder. Although she had seemed to take the surface in stride, showing no fear of the wide-open skies and asking very few questions, there was a look at the back of her eyes suggesting that she might be more overwhelmed than anything.

“I thought you might like to know that we are only one more day out from Ostagar.” Duncan nodded at the trail that disappeared into the forest. “We should arrive tomorrow afternoon, or perhaps the morning after.”

Sereda responded with a slow nod. “I look forward to staying in once place for awhile, and meeting the other Grey Wardens. How…” her voice trailed off, and she cocked her head to the side, narrowing her eyes. “What is that?”

Duncan held his breath and listened, but he heard nothing other than the cracking of the fire and trees rustling in the rising wind. “I’m afraid I don’t hear it.”

“It’s a rumbling sound,” Sereda said, “like a herd of brontos stomping around on the other side of the hill. You don’t have brontos on the surface, do you?”

“Not that I’ve ever seen,” Duncan replied. “No brontos or other animals of similar size and weight. Ogres, perhaps, but there are no darkspawn near enough. No, this is most likely thunder, from the oncoming storm.” He looked up at the clouds, and Sereda followed his gaze, her eyes widening. “I expect you’ll see your first rain tonight.”

“Ah. Well. I suppose it had to happen sooner or later.” Sereda sighed, then turned to look at him; they were of a height, thanks to her tree stump. “I’m surprised you can’t hear it. I can even feel the ground shaking.”

“Curious,” Duncan said. “Perhaps it’s a manifestation of your dwarven stone sense."

Sereda shrugged, then jumped in her seat. “There it is again!” She looked behind her, and then Duncan heard it: the rolling sound of thunder, unmistakeable if many miles away yet. The clouds were blowing in, and far away he saw a fork of lightning touch the horizon.

“The storm will be on us soon,” he said with a frown. “You should get into your tent.”

The wind had picked up, blowing Sereda’s hair off the back of her neck, and some of the other Wardens hurried to douse the fire. “In a minute,” she said. “I’d like to experience this rain for myself.”

“All right.” Duncan stood and brushed the dirt off his hands. “But don’t stay out too long — you wouldn’t want to catch a chill.”

“Aye, ser,” Sereda replied with a quick half smile, one of the first he’d seen out of her. “Have a good night.”

“You too.” Duncan tapped his chest and bowed his head, then hurried into his tent. He opened the flap just as the rain hit, heralded by a thunderclap overhead; he turned around to look at Sereda, eyes turned upward to the sky, droplets of water pelting her face, washing the dust of the road away.


End file.
